Marcus Bieth, owner of Mark 3 Graphic Design, addresses a crowd at the launch of Kiva Flint on Friday, May 10. Bieth is one of four Flint business owners who will receive a Kiva micro-loan through the organization's unique online micro-lending program.Jeremy Allen | jallen42@mlive.com

FLINT, MI – Marcus Bieth thought long and hard about his decision to quit his job and start his own graphic design company.

“I’m really responsible with my finances. I have a house and a car that I owe money on and the whole idea of starting up my business and having that as my only form of income was a tough thing to get by,” Bieth said.

After some debate, Bieth took the leap into entrepreneurship and it paid off. His company – Mark 3 Graphic Design – recently celebrated is one year anniversary.

As Bieth sought out ways to grow his company, he met up with Tracy Joseph, the funding coordinator for Metro Community Development in Flint.

Joseph said that only a few months earlier, the worldwide Kiva initiative had reached out to her to bring the unique program to Flint as the first part of a statewide expansion, and that Bieth was an ideal candidate for the program.

Kiva is the world’s first online lending platform which enables members of the community to act as a business' collective lender through the use of microloans.

The microsloans allow community members to make loans ranging from $25- $5,000 to business owners, with hopes that it leads to the building of vibrant communities.

“Kiva came to us around the first part of the year and asked if we would be willing to help local businesses and we said of course – business funding is what I do. I visited my loan files of people I was working with at the time and made some phone calls and there was a lot of interest,” Joseph said.

Bieth’s Mark 3 Graphic Design, which specializes in brand identity, promotional items, as well as garment design; Fannie Lucille, an apparel and accessories collection that enhances creates custom-made outerwear; KristiesKare Adult Day Care, and Max Beef Professional BBQ restaurant are also borrowers through the Kiva program.

The business owners have their businesses profiled on zip.kiva.org, and people from the community and all over the world have the opportunity to contribute anything as lenders. The loans will be paid back by the owner two years after the full loan amount is secured.

“Kiva is all about empowering individuals in the community to spotlight businesses who they think are doing great work and they can actually go and contribute to them by making a direct loan to them, contributing to an interest-free microloan up to $5,000,” said Elizabeth Garlow, executive director of Michigan Corps, the group responsible for backing the Kiva Flint initiative.

“Kiva Flint is launching with four incredible businesses and it’s really a celebration of how Flint has come together in support of small business and budding entrepreneurs.”

Bieth said that young entrepreneurs might not have the chance to start their own businesses if not for the support of programs like Kiva in Flint.

“The community support is huge. Being a part of Flint, knowing that Flint people are supporting me, that’s one of the many facets (of Kiva). I’m a 25-year-old guy who quit his job and started his own business,” he said.

“I don’t have a lot of collateral for business loans. There’s not really an opportunity for people like me to get loans, so Kiva is exactly what I, and many other young entrepreneurs, need.”

Issa Ishaq, owner of Max Beef Professional BBQ, is another Kiva Flint participant. He started his Kiva campaign in April and is already more than 90 percent of the way to his goal of $5,000.

“I needed some funds for my business to be able to add a grocery store. A lot of customers ask for groceries – about 100 people gave me signatures saying they want this. To stay in business in Flint we need to figure out what you can do to add more income. If I add groceries, I know it will add a lot of business,” Ishaq said.

“It means a lot to me to know that the community is investing in my business. It shows that there are a lot of nice, good people in the world. If I couldn’t get this loan, I probably wouldn’t be able to do what I needed to do to improve my business. If I improve my business, it means I can provide more people (with jobs), which helps Flint.”

Ishaq said that he will use the money he secures from the loan to purchase refrigerators so he can bring in groceries to sell to people who live in the neighbor where he operates his restaurant, and complain that there are no grocery stores nearby.

Flint Mayor Dayne Walling said that the launch of Kiva Flint shows the entrepreneurial direction in which Flint is headed.

“I think everyone here recognizes that Flint is growing and changing in new ways – ways that are easily overlooked by anyone who may be looking for large-scale projects or big changes. What we have instead are community businesses and social entrepreneurs leading our community forward,” Walling said.

“They’re building relationships and networks instead of just large buildings and factories that we can image from Flint’s economy in the past. Our community, like Detroit, is becoming a center of social innovation. Efforts like this are contributing to solutions for all sorts of problems and challenges and you see that with the diversity of entrepreneurs that are part of the new Kiva Flint platform.”

The Kiva Flint launch event was hosted by Red Ink Flint and Local 432 on First Street in downtown Flint. Joel Rash, manager of Red Ink Flint, agreed with Walling, said that the business landscape is changing for the better in downtown Flint.

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“The addition of Kiva Flint to the pallet of possible entrepreneurial funders is really great for grassroots businesses and people who want to start their own businesses of whatever type. When I bought my first building in downtown Flint in 1994, there were really no options so you had to come up with your own funds, figured it out yourself, and there weren’t many places to turn for advice or anything,” he said.

Rash said that in the past, local businesses would secure single-source loans and if the business failed, it would harm the lender’s ability to lend to that kind of service in the future.

With the group lending model, loans are collateralized appropriately and a business that uses multiple funders will be stronger because they have more voices helping them refine their business plan, organize things efficiently and even find the best space in which to operate.

“(For the entrepreneurs), it’s gratifying for them to know that their friends and families are participating with Kiva.org and making these microloans, but members of the community also realize the value of having these locally based businesses and what it means to invest in young talent and incentivize things so they can stay here,” Rash added.

“The hope is that as these businesses are launched and become successful, they will also remember that Flint is where they got their start and it was the community in Flint that helped support it.”

Joseph said that the four entrepreneurs that represent the first wave of the Kiva Flint initiative will undoubtedly help spur further entrepreneurial efforts in the area in the future.

“There are a lot of local business owners who may not be able to secure a traditional loan, and if that’s the case I always find them resources. I think Kiva is a great source to use,” she said.

“It’s a dream – an American dream – to be a business owner and to reap the rewards that come from hard work. The little kick from the community is awesome and this is a very, very strong community.”